Now is the time for seniors everywhere to do whatever they can to improve their dental hygiene. Seniors are more prone to dental problems than other populations because of the medications that they take that can cause dry mouth, infections, and other problems. The CDC estimates that 96% of seniors who are 65 or older have untreated tooth decay. When tooth decay isn’t treated it can cause tooth loss and other problems, including serious infections. It can be difficult for seniors to properly brush their teeth and floss. Home care assistance services can oversee and help them with this task.
Even seniors who do regularly brush can have problems with tooth decay. Here are some ways that your senior loved one can improve their dental hygiene routine:
Get An Extra Toothbrush And Tube Of Toothpaste
One of the best things that seniors can do to help their oral hygiene routine is to make it easier to brush. If your senior loved one lives in a two story home they may not want to go back upstairs to brush their teeth if they forget, so get an extra toothbrush and an extra tube of toothpaste and put it in a downstairs bathroom or in the kitchen so that your senior loved one can brush their teeth downstairs. If your senior loved one has a first floor bedroom and bathroom put a toothbrush and some toothpaste in every bathroom and the kitchen so that no matter where your loved one is they can brush their teeth easily.
Get An Electric Toothbrush
Every senior should have an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes do a much better job of cleaning teeth and they are easy for seniors to use. All your senior loved one has to do is press the on button and hold the brush. The brush will do all the cleaning and it will turn itself off when the cleaning cycle is done. An electric toothbrush will run for a cycle of two minutes, which is the recommended amount of time to clean teeth. Electric toothbrushes are rechargeable too so they don’t even need batteries. A home care assistance provider can make sure that the brush stays charged for your senior loved one.
Set An Alarm To Remember To Brush
If your senior loved one often forgets to brush their teeth a home care assistance provider can remind them to brush during the day and they can also set an alarm to make sure that your senior parent brushes their teeth at night. Sometimes all a senior needs is a gentle alarm to remind them that they need to brush before bed. If your senior has a home speaker or a home care assistance provider can set a voice reminder for your senior loved one to brush their teeth at a set time every day.
Use Mouthwash or Dental Rinses
Mouthwashes and rinses can get in between the teeth to kill plaque and eliminate bacteria so they are a great thing for seniors to use. Combined with brushing mouthwashes and rinses can be a very effective way to keep your senior’s mouth and teeth healthy. A fluoride rinse and an antibacterial mouthwash combined with daily brush can greatly improve your senior loved one’s oral health.